𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 || 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐚✔

16

(Chaeyoung)

"It's your birthday?!" Jennie exclaimed, snatching the chocolate bar out of Chaeyoung's hand.

Jennie and Chaeyoung were on their way back from lunch, and Chaeyoung had stopped to check her mail. Their residence hall association sent out chocolate bars on students' birthdays with a generic 'Happy Birthday' message attached, and Chaeyoung had found one waiting for her in her mailbox.

"On Saturday," Chaeyoung groaned as she reached to take her chocolate back.

"I didn't know that," Jennie pouted. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't tell anyone," Chaeyoung shrugged, walking past Jennie toward where the elevator was located in the lobby.

"Wait, Lisa doesn't know?" Jennie asked, raising an eyebrow at her as she stepped next to Chaeyoung inside of the elevator.

"I don't like to make a big deal out of my birthday," Chaeyoung sighed.

"Why not?" Jennie quizzed as she reached to press the button for the fifth floor.

"I've never really celebrated my birthday," Chaeyoung admitted. "It's just not a day I like to remember, I guess."

Jennie didn't respond, she just gave Chaeyoung a look that was sympathetic but also expectant, as if she were waiting for Chaeyoung to explain further. That was the thing about Jennie, she was very - curious. It was like she wanted to know everything about Chaeyoung, and because of that they had gotten extremely close extremely fast over the past few weeks. Chaeyoung had opened up to her about a lot of things; including her mom.

"The day my mom left," Chaeyoung started, pausing to take a deep breath. "It was my eighth birthday," she finished, her eyes falling to the floor.

"Oh," Jennie nodded. "I'm sorry," she added genuinely, wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulder.

"It's okay," Chaeyoung smiled as the elevator doors opened. "It was a long time ago."

"So are you going to tell Lisa your birthday's on Saturday or am I?" Jennie asked with a grin.

"Jennie," Chaeyoung warned, playfully narrowing her eyes at the girl as they walked down the hallway toward her dorm room.

"Come on," Jennie pleaded. "She'd want to know! Besides don't you want to get your birthday sex?"

Chaeyoung let out a small laugh, shaking her head at the smaller girl as she reached to open her door, finding it was unlocked. She walked into the room, stopping in her tracks when she saw Joy sitting on her bed. Joy jumped a little when she saw Chaeyoung and Jennie, and it seemed as if she had been waiting for Chaeyoung.

"Oh, hey Joy," Jennie greeted awkwardly. "I'll see you later Chaeng," she added before quickly fleeing back down the hallway.

Chaeyoung hadn't seen Joy since Friday night at the movie, and it was now Monday afternoon. Lisa had told Chaeyoung about how Joy had played a role in everything that had happened at the party and with Irene, but she hadn't had a chance to confront the girl about it.

Until now.

Chaeyoung felt a knot grow in her stomach thinking about Irene and the party; remembering how the girl had drugged her and how differently everything could have gone. How it could have potentially ruined things between her and Lisa. She sat down across from Joy on her own bed, folding her arms across her chest as she stared at the girl expectantly.

"I owe you an explanation," Joy finally said, her voice sounding nervous.

"Okay," Chaeyoung nodded, tightening her folded arms.